


Marked

by Plant_Queen



Category: Fablehaven Series - Brandon Mull
Genre: F/M, I'm just trash ignore me, Soulmate AU, they make out a little bit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-21 22:25:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9569441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plant_Queen/pseuds/Plant_Queen
Summary: Kendra and Bracken are soulmates, and it's an exciting discovery for the pair.





	1. Bracken's Mark

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to be frank here and say that the sole reason I wrote this was because there isn't enough of these two making out, so I decided to take a stab at rectifying that. Let me know how I did with kudos or comments!

Bracken awoke on his 15th birthday, already feeling eager despite the early hour. He usually slept in until eight, but today was a special day. He was getting his soul mark today.

Anyone who reached the age of 15, mortal or immortal, magical or not, received one. No one really knew where they came from or why they appeared on someone’s 15th birthday, but it was a well-known fact that one was mysteriously marked. The mark was always a tattoo, but the tattoo varied from person to person, some were big and colorful, others small and plain. Each person received half their tattoo, the corresponding half was located on the person’s soulmate.

Bracken was excited to see his tattoo. He wanted to know who his soulmate was. He envisioned himself meeting the person, them crying as they held each other, taking walks on the beach, and having romantic picnics. Alright, so maybe it was a little soon for romantic picnics, but what could Bracken say? He was a romantic at heart. 

Bracken leaped out of bed and ran to his full length mirror. He quickly shucked his shirt off and turned slowly, hoping to catch a glimpse of his new mark. There it was, on his shoulder. It was half a pair of fairy wings, turquoise, with little silver veins running throughout. The tattoo was about 2 and half inches long, and it was surrounded by a glowing gold. Bracken’s breath caught, it was beautiful. 

Then, panic flashed through him. If his mark was fairy wings, did that mean his soulmate was a fairy? Bracken’s face screwed up. He didn’t want his soulmate to be a fairy! Now, he was the fairy prince, and therefore obligated to love all of his mother’s subjects, but the idea of marrying a fairy wasn’t a pleasant one. Most were vain, petty creatures when they were small, and they were haughty and intimidating when they were in their larger state. 

Bracken took a deep breath to calm himself. He didn’t know for a fact that his soulmate was a fairy, the wings could mean anything and could be on anyone.   
Which brought up another problem. How was Bracken supposed to find his soulmate? The fairy kingdom was a large place, and the mark could be on quite literally anyone. It wasn’t uncommon to display one’s soulmark, but Bracken couldn’t recall ever seeing his mark on anyone before. 

Bracken’s heart quickened. His mother was the queen, surely she’d recognize the mark if she’d seen it on anyone. Bracken resolved himself to ask her first thing.  
Bracken got ready as fast as he could ever remember. He put on his fine suit and combed his hair neatly so that he looked presentable as a prince. At this hour, his mother and father should be in the great hall hearing supplications from the citizens of the realm.

Despite his eagerness, Bracken kept his pace steady as he walked to the great hall. It wouldn’t do for a prince to run through the halls like a child, especially not now that he had officially reached the age of maturity, as proved by his soulmark. 

Bracken took a deep breath outside the gilded doors that marked the entrance to the great hall. He was about to ask his mother if she knew who his soulmate was, no big deal. Squaring his shoulders, Bracken swung the door open, only to reveal an empty hall. 

Where were his parents? And where were all the petitioners that were normally here at this hour? Bracken took another step onto the marbled floors, gazing around. The room was bright, airy, and empty. Without his third horn, which would hopefully be coming in soon, Bracken couldn’t ask his mother where she was using his mind. But hopefully she would sense his confusion and send someone for him.

At that moment, a little fairy in a lavender dress buzzed in through the open doors. She indicated for Bracken to follow as she zipped back out into the hallway. Bracken chased after her, zig zagging around the palace. He tried to ask where they were going, but the little fairy remained silent. 

Soon enough, the pair arrived at some nondescript oak doors Bracken recognized as being the entrance to the royal study, which was really more of a gathering place for private family events. Bracken, slightly out of breath, turned to the fairy to ask why they went here of all places only to find that she was gone. With a shrug, Bracken pulled open the doors and stepped into the room.

“SURPRISE!” A cacophony of voices shouted. Bracken stumbled back in shock. People laughed, and the lights suddenly filled to illuminate a grinning crowd of Bracken’s friends and family.

Once he recovered, Bracken laughed as well. “That really was a surprise! You all scared me there for a second.”

“Scaring you is always our goal,” Bracken’s youngest sister, Jasmine, who was no more than nine, said. Bracken smiled and rubbed her hair affectionately as she squealed.

“Happy Birthday, brother,” Lilliana, the middle sister who had recently turned 12, said. 

“Thanks, Lil,”

“Well, well, if it isn’t my favorite brother,” Bracken turned and saw the oldest of his sisters, Myrtle, who was just a year younger than Bracken. 

“I’m your only brother.”

“And good thing too, or I might have a different favorite,” she said with an impish smile. Then, Myrtle stepped up to him and wrapped Bracken in a hug. “Happy Birthday.”

“Alright, out of the way you three. As the mother, I get special birthday privileges,” the voice of Bracken’s mother floated through the air. 

“Shouldn’t I get the special birthday privileges? After all, it is MY birthday,” Bracken said once Myrtle released him from her hug.

“Fair, which is why I’m giving you this.” With a flourish, the Queen waved her hand and a piece of paper appeared in her hands. She gave the rolled scroll to Bracken. He opened it, and his surprise was probably evident on his face from the way his mother laughed. 

“Not what you expected?” His mother asked. Bracken shook his head. “Well, as a prince of the realm, you need to start learning how to protect yourself and your people.”

The paper was his schedule for the next month or so, and it was filled with lessons from Gilgoril on swordplay. Bracken was excited to start learning how to use the sword his second horn could turn into, but he was still thinking about his soulmark.

“What is it? You seem distracted,” the Queen said, picking up on Bracken’s thoughts. 

“Well, I did have a question I wanted to ask you,” Bracken began. He twisted, yanking on his shirt a bit to expose his new mark.

“Bracken,” the Queen breathed, stepping forward and lightly brushing the skin where the mark was, causing Bracken to jump. “It’s beautiful.” She said.

Bracken craned his neck around to look at his mom. She seemed enthralled by the tattoo. Probably because Bracken was the first of her children to receive the soulmark. “Well, do you recognize it?”

“I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Bracken wilted a bit. He knew he shouldn’t be disappointed, but he couldn’t help the feeling. 

“Oh, sweetheart. You’re an immortal unicorn. It’s very likely that your soulmate hasn’t been born yet. Don’t you worry, you’ll find them one day.”

“I know.” Bracken straightened and put a smile on his face. “But for right now, I hear there’s a surprise party going on for someone.”

Behind him, his sisters squealed and tugged Bracken forward to the gift table. Each of them were clamoring for Bracken to open their gift first, and his dour mood quickly evaporated with his sister’s antics. 

***

Bracken sat up abruptly. He frowned, shaking his head slightly to clear the image of the dream. The dream felt so real, like he really was just getting his soulmark for the first time. He remembered the disappointment of not finding his soulmate, the awe upon seeing the mark, the way his mother looked at him when he showed her the mark.

Thinking of the small tattoo on his back brought Bracken back to the sensation that woke him up. The little fairy wings, well, half of them anyway, felt burning hot. Bracken twisted to see what was causing the pain, but the tattoo looked as normal as ever. The pain continued, however, and Bracken could see no discernible cause. 

Suddenly, the golden glow that normally haloed the tattoo glimmered eye-wateringly bright. Bracken squeezed his eyes shut against the glow. When he opened his eyes, the light was gone and the pain was fading. It was all very odd, and Bracken couldn’t shake the feeling that something important had just happened. 

He found no use in staying awake all night to agonize about something he couldn’t understand. Bracken was still trapped in the Living Mirage’s dungeon, so there would be no way for him to get answers any time soon. 

Bracken curled up on his side on the uncomfortable prison cot, determined to put the whole business with the tattoo out of his mind. As he faded off to sleep, though, he could have sworn he heard a girl laughing.


	2. Kendra's Mark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn't super clear from the last chapter, Bracken's mark burning meant that his soulmate just received their mark. And you already know who the soulmate is but we're both going to pretend you don't and that this chapter will be a shock. Enjoy!

Kendra giggled as she spun in her new dress. It was floral and very girly-girl, but one could only take so much of running around in battle gear. It was nice to dress up every now and again, especially since it was her fifteenth birthday. 

The dress had an added bonus of showcasing her brand-new soulmark. The little half-pair of fairy wings had surprised Kendra when she woke up this morning. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting, but turquoise fairy wings hadn’t been it. 

Kendra supposed it made sense, what with her being fairy kind and all. It was the first thing she’d checked for when she’d woken up this morning. The blue-green wings had veins of sparkling silver running through them, and they were haloed by a golden glow not dissimilar to the one Kendra herself had, or so she’d been told. 

Kendra had chosen the dress specifically to show off the tattoo. Everybody had been speculating on just what the mark would look like. Supposedly, there had even been a few bets going around, and Kendra suspected Warren was somehow involved in that hare-brained scheme. Regardless, she knew everyone would be asking to see the mark all day long, so Kendra figured it’d be better to have the tattoo out in the open. 

Kendra finished her morning routine and went downstairs for breakfast. As she opened the attic door, Kendra was greeted to a large banner reading “Happy 15th Birthday!” in stylized script. Streamers had been wrapped around the banister leading down the stairs, and a few criss-crossed the ceiling. 

Everyone was seated around the dining room table, a small pile of gifts and what looked to be a cake were sitting on the table itself. Kendra smiled at the simple, but thoughtful decorations.

“The birthday girl has finally arrived!” Warren said, standing to give Kendra a proper hug. “Happy birthday, little cousin.”

“Finally! Now we can eat cake,” Seth said, but he stood to give Kendra a hug anyway. 

“Happy birthday, Kendra. It isn’t everyday a young lady turns 15.” Kendra’s grandfather smiled, hugging her lightly. 

Grandma Ruth came into the kitchen at that moment, holding a wrapped package. “I thought I heard someone talking about a birthday. Happy birthday, dear.” Ruth placed a light kiss on Kendra’s cheek.

“Wow! Thank you so much everyone!” 

“I hope you weren’t thinking about getting started without us,” a deep voice behind Kendra said. She turned to find Tanu, who promptly wrapped her up in a massive hug. Somewhere, Kendra heard Coulter gruffly wish her a happy birthday.

“Don’t suffocate her, Tanu! At least not before I get to see the mark,” Warren said, poking Kendra as he did so.

“That’s right! You got your soulmark today, didn’t you?” Tanu set Kendra down. A chorus of people asked to see the mark. Kendra spun, sweeping up her hair so that the mark was visible. Everybody “oohed” at the beautiful fairy wings. Except for Warren and Seth, Warren and Seth both groaned. 

Kendra turned back around, eyeing the pair suspiciously. They were both digging in their pockets, and Dale seemed pretty pleased with himself. Stan was doing his best not to look amused, while Ruth was scowling in their direction. 

“Alright, I clearly missed something,” Kendra said. 

“What you missed is me losing ten dollars,” Warren grumbled, plopping a bill in front of Dale, Seth did likewise. 

“You bet on my tattoo, didn’t you?” Warren offered no comment. “Oh, come on! You have to tell me what you bet!”

“I bet a book,” Seth piped up. “I figured I had a good shot since I’m pretty sure your soulmate is a book.”

“Ha, ha.”

“I bet a flower,” Warren finally admitted. “Dale bet on fairy wings. I told him that was too obvious and cliche, but he insisted he would be right.” Dale simply smiled, tucking the money away. 

“Your mark is beautiful, Kendra. Very unique,” Stan said, turning the topic away from the bet. 

“Aren’t they all unique, though?” Kendra accepted the slice of cake her grandma had cut while they were talking. 

“Well, technically, yes. Each soulmark is unique to the pair of soulmates. However, the marks normally represent something significant to the soulmates. In humans, that can narrow the range a lot. There are some common marks, though the details are generally different. Books and movies seem to be pretty common, normally representing how the couple will meet. I have heard a rumor that the president and the first man have an eagle as their soulmark, though, so sometimes the mark can represent a significant journey the couple will share together,” Ruth explained, still handing out cake. "The soulmarks can also be for platonic life-partners. Some people don't want a romantic relationship, and their soulmark tends to either be whole or half that fits with someone who becomes, essentially, their best friend."

“What soulmarks do you all have?” Kendra asked. Somehow, she’d never thought to ask that before, what with the whole business of adventuring taking up a lot of the family’s time together. 

“Your grandfather and I have a scroll, probably representing the preserve.”

“I have half a sword, split long ways,” Warren said. 

“I have half a potion bottle, with a little flower as the stopper instead of a cork,” Tanu told them.

“Mine is a pumpkin,” Dale said. 

Coulter sighed. “Guess I have to reveal mine now, don’t I? Mine is three interlocking rings of different colors. I don’t know what it means, but mine is whole, not a half like anyone else.”

Kendra listened with interest. It wasn’t everyday that someone revealed what the mark of their soul looked like, after all. Seth was clearly listening too, and he looked a little out of place, since he was now the only one who didn’t know what form his mark would look like. 

“I think your’s will be a compass, Seth,” Kendra added. He seemed grateful for her including him.

“No way, mine will be a knife or something cool.”

“Or something,” Kendra agreed with a grin. Seth glared a bit. 

“Why don’t we do presents?” Warren interrupted what he was sure was going to be an all out argument between the two siblings. Kendra grabbed the gift her grandma had put on the table first. 

***

A year later, Kendra found herself fighting alongside a dedicated unicorn who seemed to have feelings for her, as revealed by Vanessa on the beach just before they all boarded the ghost ship Patton had recommended. During the Battle of Zzyzx, Kendra was focused on just her and her friends surviving. After, however, after the battle, Kendra couldn’t help but wonder. 

After all, it would fit. A fairy prince and a fairykind girl might have the same tattoo uniting them. Kendra forced herself to stop thinking about soulmates, however. She wouldn’t let herself get hurt like she’d been with Gavin. That psychopath had mimicked her tattoo to get Kendra to trust him. After that had happened, well, Kendra kind of lost her faith in soulmates. Better to just focus on the present, which was what she planned to do with Bracken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little bit of fun facts. I hc Tanu as ace, so the flower and potion bottle is for his romantic partner. I hc Dale as ace/aro, so his soulmark is for his best friend. I also couldn't think of a single person that Coulter would enjoy being around in any capacity, so I did the best I could. And Vanessa has the matching half to Warren's sword (which may or may not be the sword he found at the Lost Mesa). Anyway, thanks for reading! I'd love to hear comments about what you all think Seth's soulmark would end up being.


	3. Discovery

Kendra jogged to the pond like she always did on Saturday morning. It had been about a year and a half since the Battle of Zzyx, and just three months ago, Bracken had formally asked Kendra out on a date. Since then, they’d fallen into a routine, and Saturday mornings were date mornings. Usually, they’d go on a walk around the preserve, catching up on the events in their various worlds. 

Kendra couldn’t remember being more happy with anybody else. Bracken was a wonderful friend and a spectacular boyfriend. He made her feel special, which is something that Kendra was a little afraid of at first. After all, Gavin had used the same tactic on her, but Bracken was so different. He never pushed faster or farther than Kendra wanted him too - which she was very grateful for.

Upon reaching the familiar hedges that marked the boundary of the shrine, Kendra stopped to straighten her flowing sundress and smooth her hair. She didn’t know what Bracken was planning, but she liked to be prepared.

Kendra stepped into view just as Bracken stepped out of the hedges. His beautiful grey eyes light up when they saw Kendra, she smiled back at him, feeling her inner glow brightening in response. 

“You look gorgeous, princess,” Bracken pulled Kendra into a hug, dropping a light kiss on her lips. 

“You aren’t looking so bad yourself,” Kendra flirted back. Bracken grinned. She gave him another kiss, slightly longer this time, but pulled back before it could really develop. “So, what is your idea today?” Kendra asked. 

“Do you have a swimsuit?”

***

A short walk back to the house and a few minutes to change into her swimsuit later, and Kendra was stepping out into the gardens. Bracken’s grand plan was a swimming date, and, if Kendra was being honest, she was rather excited at the prospect of seeing her boyfriend shirtless. 

Kendra came up to the pool, standing next to Bracken as he rubbed sunscreen on his arms. While the unicorn was distracted, Kendra took the moment to check him out. 

It was unfair, really. Kendra wasn’t in too bad of a shape herself, but Bracken was something else. He had a perfectly cut chest and strong arms, not to mention killer abs. His skin was smooth and slightly lustrous, though Bracken was a lot less pale now than when he’d been in prison. A slight v of muscles dipped below the line of Bracken’s blue swim-shorts, and Kendra dragged her gaze up and away, only to find her handsome unicorn smirking at her.

“Enjoying the view?” He waggled his eyebrows and Kendra, despite herself, felt her cheeks heat.

“I’m starting to think this was all planned because you wanted me to see you shirtless,” she huffed in annoyance as Kendra placed her hands on her hips, cocking them slightly. Bracken followed the motion, eyes dilating slightly as he took Kendra in.

Kendra found herself smirking, not unlike the way Bracken had moments earlier. Bracken’s eyes jumped to Kendra’s bikini then travelled the expanse of her stomach before suddenly jumping to meet her eyes. Truth be told, Kendra had bought the pale pink bikini with the cute little bows for the express purpose of Bracken one day seeing her in it, though she’d never admit it to anyone.

“Enjoying the view?” she drawled. Bracken’s cheeks flushed silver and Kendra grinned. 

“Can you help me reach the spots on my back?” Bracken asked, practically shoving the bottle of sunscreen into Kendra’s hands and spinning away, probably in a belated effort to hid his blush. Kendra chuckled, happy to oblige her dorky boyfriend. 

Well, she was happy to oblige until her eyes caught sight of a small tattoo of fairy wings decorating Bracken’s shoulder. Fairy wings that looked exactly like the matching pair on Kendra’s own back. The mark in question seemed to burn. Kendra’s breath hitched, and she did the only logical thing to do in the situation. 

She pointed and screamed. 

Bracken whorled around, alarmed by Kendra’s screaming, which cut off abruptly. 

“What? What happened? Are you hurt?”

Kendra stared wordlessly, still unable to form a coherent thought, let alone coherent sentence. She was pretty sure her eyes were bugging out of her head. 

“Kendra?” Bracken’s voice rose a little on the end, as if he were about to burst into hysterics himself. The little waver broke Kendra out of her stupor. 

She grabbed Bracken’s arms, ignoring the alarmed look on his face. He seemed about to speak, but Kendra cut him off. “Your mark,” she breathed.

“What about it?” Bracken asked, clearly confused and slightly shaken.

“Why do you have it? What does it mean?” 

“My soulmark? The wings?”

“Yes, those.” Kendra felt desperate to know. 

“I don’t see what this has to do with anything,” Bracken hedged.

“Please, please, I-I know I’m being confusing but I really need you to tell me.”

“Well, the mark is my soulmark. Supposedly, my soulmate has a matching mark.” 

“You mean like this?” Before Bracken could say anything, Kendra spun around and lifted her hair up to expose her shoulders and upper back. She heard Bracken’s breath hitch. 

“Holy shit,” he breathed. Kendra felt cool fingers brush her back, lightly sweeping across her own beautiful mark. A flash of emotion shot through Kendra, poignant and consuming. 

“What was that?” she asked, head swimming slightly. 

“You mean this?” Bracken laid his hand on the mark, and the emotion barreled into Kendra again, clearer this time. Affection, longing, wonder, love.

Kendra turned around to face Bracken, certain that the awe on his face was mirrored on her own. Slowly, he turned, showing his mark.

Kendra reached her hand up, hesitating for only a second before delicately placing her fingers over the colored patch of skin. Bracken gasped.

“I can feel your emotions.”

“I felt yours,” Kendra confessed. Bracken turned around again, so that they were facing.

“You know what this means, right?” Bracken said, equal parts eager and trepidation creeping into his voice. 

“We’re soulmates,” the couple whispered at the same time.

Without a doubt, Kendra knew it was true. No mimicry this time, not with having shared Bracken’s emotions with him. Bracken and Kendra stared at each other for a second, then they moved. 

The kiss was different than the ones they’d shared before. It was hotter, more passionate. Kendra’s lips crashed against Bracken’s, slipping together even though their teeth clanked a bit. Instantly, Kendra’s arms wound around Bracken’s neck and his arms encircled her waist, pulling her closer. 

Kendra rolled onto her tiptoes, forcing her body flush with the unicorn’s and changing the angle to deepen the kiss. She felt his tongue dance along her lips, and she opened her mouth in response to the unspoken plea. She gasped a little as Bracken pushed his tongue inside. Soon, however, the need for air became too much, so they fell apart, gasping for breath but still clinging to one another. 

Over her shoulder, Kendra heard a slight tittering, almost as if people were laughing. The fairies. Kendra bit back a groan as she realized that the, er, passionate display had an audience. Bracken must have realized it too, because he stiffened. 

“Why don’t we go somewhere where we won’t be watched?” Bracken whispered in Kendra’s ear, and she couldn’t quite suppress the shiver that passed through her body. 

Kendra reached up and touched the mark on Bracken’s back, letting him feel her excitement and approval. 

Bracken grinned, and tugged her away, ignoring the laughs and taunts of the fairies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I know how to write good makeout scenes? No. Did I do it anyway? Yes. If you have suggestions for improvement or feel compelled to let me know your thoughts about anything else, drop a comment or leave a kudo!


	4. Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know what you're thinking from the way I ended the last chapter, and I'm judging you. None of those shenanigans will be going on in this chapter, just more of the same.

Bracken and Kendra snuck into the house, careful to avoid Warren and Seth, who were doing something at the table involving dominos. They almost ran into Tanu, who was coming out of the study, but they managed to evade just fine. Bracken and Kendra made it up to her room, which had since been moved out of the attic, without anyone noticing. 

Before the door had even closed fully behind them, Bracken was already kissing Kendra. His lips were hot and his hands pushed their way into her hair. Kendra kissed him back, just as greedy. Bracken pushed Kendra up against the door, trapping her between the solid surface and his body, deepening the kiss further. 

Lips and tongue slid together, rather clumsily if Kendra was being honest, but what they lacked in skill, they made up for in enthusiasm. Kendra’s arms once again found their way around Bracken’s neck, but this time, her hand little brushed the glowing mark. Bracken groaned a bit, then froze in embarrassment. 

He pulled back, staring at Kendra with his eyes wide. She hesitated a second, gathering her courage, then leaned in and kissed him. 

“You’re my soulmate,” she breathed against his lips.

“You’re my princess,” Bracken breathed back, leaning in so that their foreheads touched. 

Kendra couldn’t stop the thrill that went through, and Bracken must’ve noticed because he gave a short laugh, his voice still rough. Lazily, Bracken’s mouth separated from her’s and he kissed his way along Kendra’s jaw. Upon reaching her ear, he suckled her lobe briefly before beginning to kiss his way down Kendra’s neck. 

Kendra let out a soft hiss of air at the ministrations. 

“You’re my soulmate,” she said. Bracken nipped a sensitive spot on her neck, she was going to have a hickey, but Kendra didn’t care. Just another mark to link them. 

Kendra touched Bracken's mark again, letting her emotions flow through him, and Bracken touched her mark in kind, still kissing her neck. 

Eventually, Kendra became aware that they were still very much in their bathing suits, and embarrassment suddenly flooded her. Bracken, whose mark she was still touching, looked up in concern. Kendra blushed a bit, then cleared her throat.

“As, uh, as fun as this is, perhaps we should put on a few more layers of clothes?”

Bracken looked down, as if having forgotten that he was shirtless and wearing only swim trunks. His face promptly was dusted with silver. 

“That’s probably a good idea. I’m going to go find some pants.”

Bracken slipped out the door. Kendra took the time to put on her sun dress from before. When she looked in the mirror, she frowned. She had been right about the hickey. Fortunately, being a semi-magical being imbued with healing powers came in handy for all sorts of situations.

Kendra brushed her hair out from where it hand tangled in Bracken’s hands and reapplied her smudged makeup. Before she could turn her attention to the bright red mark on her neck, however, there was a knock at the door. 

Bracken stood on the other side, wearing his loose button down shirt and jeans from earlier, and he was also holding a little bouquet of flowers in his hands. Red, yellow, and white tulips, interspersed with gloxinia flowers were tied neatly together with a pink bow. 

Kendra took them, smiling at her thoughtful boyfriend gratefully.

“Come on in while I find the vase for these beauties. Thank you, by the way, they’re lovely.”

“Lovely flowers for a lovely girl,” Bracken teased. Kendra giggled a bit.

After a bit of searching, Kendra managed to locate the vase and arranged the flowers carefully on her dresser. Bracken and her sat on the bed together, content for the moment to just hold hands. Kendra let her head drop onto Bracken’s shoulders. His hand tightened around hers.

“So, when do you think we should tell the others?” Kendra asked. Bracken shifted, so Kendra sat up straight to look at him.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But why don’t we keep this to ourselves for now, just until we get used to it.”

“Sounds perfect to me.”

“But, ah,” Bracken began, sounding kind of uncomfortable, “if we’re going to keep it a secret, then, well.”

“Well what?” Kendra asked when it became apparent that Bracken wasn’t going to continue.

“You should probably cover your hickey!” Bracken blurted, covering his face with his hands and muttering something that sounded like an apology. 

Kendra laughed. “Oh, right.” A few seconds concentration later and the red mark on her neck had faded. 

“I won’t leave one again, I’m sorry!”

“Don’t be,” Kendra said honestly, then lowered her lashes a bit. “It kind of turned me on.”

Bracken’s eyes widened for a second, and he audibly gulped. Kendra laughed again. 

“Come on,” she said as she stood, pulling Bracken up as well. “Why don’t we see if we can’t school Warren and Seth in whatever game they were playing?”

Bracken grinned. His hand came down lightly on Kendra’s shoulders, barely brushing her mark. Gentle affection, admiration, and something that might have been love washed into her. She leaned into the touch, smiling as the couple made their way to the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! Thank you all so much for reading! I know it isn't the longest fic in the world, but I didn't want to stretch myself too much and make it poorer quality. I really appreciate feedback in any form! Yay!


End file.
